10 THE BOOK OF REAL FAIRIES

As the days passed, Evelyn's garden became more
and more interesting, for she became great friends
with the fairies and learned much about the hidden
side of flower growing.

It was a few days after her first meeting with
Poppy that a strange thing happened, which at first
Evelyn thought was going to be very sad, but which
really turned out to be lovely.

She had come out to say good-morning to Poppy
and the others as usual, when she noticed that Poppy's
lips, usually so very scarlet, were quite pale, and she
seemed not to notice Evelyn's presence.

" 0, Poppy, dear," cried Evelyn, kneeling down
beside her. "Are you ill ? ??

Poppy opened her eyes languidly.

" Oh, not at all," she returned, " I am just dying.35

" Dying ? 3? cried Evelyn in alarm, &i Oh, what shall
I do ? "

" I forgot," said Poppy with a funny little ex-
pression on her face, " that most human beings are
afraid to die. It is different with a fairy, for to us
it means v^ork done and freedom in sight."

;t What happens when you die ? " inquired Evelyn.

" We just pass out into another shape and are free
to fly about once more. When the poppy is quite
faded, I shall pass out. Sometimes we come back to
build more flowers, sometimes we are permitted to
become higher things, I have been graduated from